50 | May• 2019
BUMBLEBEES
SIXTHSENSE
Abumblebeegeneratesapositive
electricalchargeasitflapsitswings
andtransferssomeofthechargetoa
flowerwhenit lands.Thankstoa 2013
studyinthejournalScience, experts
nowknowthatwhenbeesdetect
a changeina f lower’scharge,they
avoidtheflower,sensingthatanother
beehasrecentlyremoveditspollen.
PEREGRINEFALCONS
LIGHTNINGSPEED
Moveover,cheetahs.Peregrinefal-
conshavebeenclockedatspeedsof
626.8km/h,makingtheblackand
greybirdsthefastestmembersof
theanimalkingdom.Divingtowards
prey,peregrinestucktheirwings
intotheirbodies,creatinganaero-
dynamicteardropshapeperfectfor
quicklystrikingunassuming birds
and small mammals.
SLOTHS
SURVIVEDEADLYWOUNDS
Three-toedslothsmaynotmovevery
fast,buttheirspeedyrecoveryfrom
woundsthatwouldkillotherani-
malshavemadethemthefocusof
scientificresearch.
Some experts believe that the
scoresofbeneficialbacteriathatlive
ina sloth’sfurhelpthemhealunusu-
allyquicklyandwithout infection.
REINDEERS
SUPERVISION
Reindeershavea uniqueabilityto
seeultravioletlightwhichallows
themtoforagebetterforfoodand
avoidpredatorsintheharshArctic
landscape.
Theirprimarywinterfoodsource,
lichens, and the fur of their main
predator, thewolf, both absorb U V
light,so theystandout against the
UV-reflecting snow.
Amazing Animal
SUPER
POWERS
ANIMAL KINGDOM
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES